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The words of Proverbs 22:6, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it,” and Matthew 18:5, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,” ring in my head as I think about this topic. I think it’s pretty clear that God wants children in church. That’s why the question isn’t, “Should families with young children go to church?” What isn’t as clear is what that should look like. Truth be told, depending on the family and their circumstances, that can look very different. Here, three moms share their experiences and their tips for attending church with young children.
Nicole Balza
I used to sweat a lot in church.
How’s that for a hook?
My husband and I had four children in four years, and every Sunday we wanted to take them to church.
I’d start sweating at home putting their shoes on, and sweat would keep coming throughout the morning.
They’d be loud some Sundays, and other Sundays they’d be angels. For a long time, I would find my worth in how they acted in church. I was so sad that I did that, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that my identity came from their behavior.
It didn’t. It doesn’t.
I am so glad that my husband and I brought our kids to church with us every Sunday. Whether they were asking, “Are we almost done?” for the whole congregation to hear or starting to sing the liturgy for the first time, it was all worth it. The good, the bad, the ugly. It was all such a blessing of our early parenting years, and I am so glad that, through our heavenly Father, we endured.
It was hard. Oh, it was hard. There were times I wanted to tell the pastor that I saw his lips moving but I didn’t hear a word that he said. Then there were other times my kids would fall asleep on me, and I’d just sit there listening to the Word of God while snuggling with some of my most precious gifts from him.
I guess my take on it is, “Bring them.” I was sweating when my kids were the ages of 1, 2, 3, and 4, but the blessings that have come from that hard time make standing shoulder to shoulder with them now that they are 8, 9, 10, and 11 one of my greatest treasures.
What a beautiful thing it is to make it a priority to worship together as a family. It’ll be hard at times, but the Lord gives us strength to do hard things.
Don’t sweat it.
Jen Mueller
Cheerios, books, crayons, boogie board tablet, water bottle . . . and the list goes on. Do any of these sound like the items you pack for your little ones when heading to church?
It can feel like a daunting task to make it through a one-hour church service with infants, toddlers, and young children. Will it be naptime? Will they be hungry? Will they cry or shout? Can they sit still? Will I hear at least part of the sermon this week? Is everyone looking at us?
It’s been a while since I had little ones in church, and I was typically in the pew alone since my husband was in the pulpit. It wasn’t always easy, but we did it and so did many other young families. At times, it felt like we were in it together, and that was encouraging. We had our church bag or grabbed one of the busy bags already there. We had books about things we see and do in church. We had children’s activity bulletins and coloring pages. We had snack cups and water cups for a while, later replaced by Tic Tacs and gum.
Kids will wiggle. They will make noise, and they may act out on occasion. But they will also sing and chant and pray and ask about the cross or the guy up front. My husband often would say to our congregation that he welcomed the cries and shouts from the little ones because that was the sound of the church’s future.
The body of Christ is made up of the young and old, and he uses all of us—even the tiniest of believers—to encourage and build one another up.
Jesus welcomed the little ones into his arms centuries ago, and he still does today. He calls on parents and other grown-ups to bring their little ones to him to receive the blessings his Word brings and to be reminded that they are his children by right of their baptism.
Bring your kids to church. Model for them what being at the feet of Jesus looks like. Show them what it is to be fed by Word and sacrament. If your church does this, bring them to the Communion rail for a blessing. Point out the cross, the font, and the stained glass. Show them how to fold their hands, to stand and sit. Getting children involved can be a simple thing, and when we start from a young age, the prayers, songs, and liturgy will be imprinted on their hearts.
Remember that you are not alone. Many others have gone through this, and many more will! The body of Christ is made up of the young and old, and he uses all of us—even the tiniest of believers—to encourage and build one another up.
Amanda Berg
Picture yourself walking into church with three young children, one of them a newborn. Your husband is getting installed during the service, so you have to sit in the front row. You settle in, handing your two toddlers quiet things to keep them busy, but as soon as the pastor begins the sermon, your baby begins to cry. You bounce him up and down, hoping he settles, but his cry echoes off the walls of the building. You feel the eyes of everyone behind you burning into the back of your head, and your face turns red. He won’t stop crying. The only option you have is to leave, which you do, finding a place outside to sit in quiet while you begin to cry just as your baby settles down.
This was my experience in the chapel at Martin Luther College when we first moved to New Ulm, Minn. I felt embarrassed by my son’s crying because I thought I was being judged by everyone at the opening service. The reality was much simpler than that. They may have heard my baby cry, but after years of being on the other side of this event, I know that they probably weren’t judging me. Babies cry. Toddlers get restless. Middle-schoolers roll their eyes.
Ultimately, the key to getting all my children to behave well (at least outwardly) was just to keep going to church. We didn’t give up. And the more we went back to church, the easier managing them became.
What helped reduce my self-consciousness about my children’s behaviors was remembering what I could control. Could I make my baby stop crying? Maybe. Could I make the person in front of me stay facing forward? Nope. Were people annoyed or were they turning around to let me know that they understood what I was going through? There was no way really to know, but I could control how I thought about it. I tried to assume the best—that the people around me wanted to help. This was probably closer to the truth than what my sinful, self-centered brain initially thought. It was also a good reminder for me to ask how I could help when someone was struggling with a baby or toddler.
My children still have occasional issues at church. I can’t make them listen, sing, or pay attention. But the Holy Spirit works in spite of us. He put faith into my children’s hearts at their baptisms, and he’ll continue to strengthen their faith through God’s Word and sacrament. Every Sunday, I should start by taking a deep breath and saying a prayer, thanking God for giving me the opportunity to bring my children, technically his children, back to his house.
Karyn Clemons
We want to hear from you!
How does your congregation encourage parents with young children to attend church? Share the ways that you and your church support these families at forwardinchrist.net/submit. We’ll share some in the January 2026 issue.
Author: Multiple
Volume 112, Number 10
Issue: October 2025
